Nationwide, training to become a police officer is claiming the lives of dozens of recruits each year.
Within the past decade, 164 officer candidates died while training or as a direct result of it, an Associated Press investigation found. Many of these deaths were rooted in extreme exhaustion, heatstroke, drowning, and other conditions that experts say can be prevented or mitigated.
The reasons behind this alarming trend are complex, spanning from inadequate screening to a “culture of machismo” within law enforcement. As a result, the nation’s law enforcement agencies are being urged to reconsider their practices to ensure the safety of those entering the noble profession of policing.